Spokes & Sandwiches

May has drawn to a close, as has our set of specials to provide bikes for missionaries in Asia.  We were able to raise money for three bikes!  Thanks for your support!  We'll be making that donation to Gospel for Asia in the near future.  (Got that, honey-who-pays-our-bills?  Don't forget.)

Also, I did some day-to-day shots for The Bridge (often seen here on PLP) and for their Memorial Day lunch and sack-dinner preparations.

It's fun being down there now that people recognize me and know who I am.  There is a general comfortableness that develops, and now me and my camera are commonplace- much less intimidating for people.

It's awesome how many varieties of fresh produce they get.

Get ready... wedding season is coming into full-swing around here.  I'll try to pop in with each wedding, but we'll be busy!  And let me say... we're starting with a lively bunch (of people that I love to munch so much!)

Nature

I think it is important (as do most photographers) to do some personal photography projects just for the intrinsic joy of it.  Today, I saw some droplets of rain on a leaf and photographed it.  This was shortly after I finished praying about resting, stillness, and observation of the simply delightful things in life and while taking Eli for a walk outside after a day of rain.

Miscellaneous May- too much for one post

I have intentionally left May as a slow photographic month so I can catch up and regroup before I dive in with full force for my upcoming season.  But that isn't to say things aren't happening!

Some are personal- like the Free Clothing and Food Day I helped to coordinate last week for University City families, and the new chairs I bought today and the new amazing upgrade to my insulin pump that I bought yesterday. And Eli's impluse-decision haircut I did yesterday.  The "Hello, there pretty little lady!" comment we got Sunday got my gears crankin' and I realized he couldn't wait until mid-June for his planned haircut.  It was in his eyes, curly and he's just not a barrette kind of kid.

The following photos are courtesy of my bridesmaid-friend who lives upstairs. I don't know if she wants her name here.  She did a great job!

"Mom, are we done yet?"

I can see why Brian looks so scared when I cut his hair.  I am rather menacing with those scissors!

The attempted faux-hawk...

Sure, it's a little crooked... but he's wiggly.

This is when the clippers came out last year... (oooh, Anna, I'm breaking out the Waaay Back Whensday).

Also on the Eli front, he started going to a Mother's Day Out program (like a daycare, but in my case, better) once a week.  Last week he had his first day of "school" and I got to do mommythings! The lunch was packed, the diaper bag stocked, fancy shoes all laid out, fresh bath, and (long) hair combed (and looked a bit creepy).   Thankfully, he loved it!

On the business side of things, I'm crankin' out some album designs, orders, and updating my systems, making sure they are in well-oiled condition.  I am rethinking my package information, my administration processes, and figuring out the details of having clients in my home.  It's good to be in this mode for a few weeks, and thankfully I still have a bit of time before May is gone to finish up my long list.

Finally, don't forget about the Bikes program we've got going on for the rest of May.  There is about 12 days left to be a part this!  See this post for more information on how you can help provide bikes for missionaries in Asia!  We're at three whole bikes right now.

Jenna & Nick

Almost a year ago, Nick proposed to Jenna on the grounds of the Arch.  We revisited the spot where he proposed for their engagement session.  It was my goal to create non-touristy photographs near the Arch and the pond where they became engaged in a way that reflects their relationship.  As a P.E. teacher, Jenna is quite active, so we had a lot of fun, interactive pictures with them dancing, walking, being playful.  But I must say, some of these more intimate ones were my favorites, as their expressions were just so captivating.

This couple, with amazing smiles, were high school sweethearts.  She cheered for him while he played football- and Jenna had the idea to recreate the feel of their early days.  They even donned their uniforms for a few pictures.  And let me just add... the wind cooperated nicely.

Girl Scouts & Eli

I was never a girl scout. But I am a girl, and I do go location-scouting for clients (both on purpose and by nature)... does that mean I am a girl scout now?  A friend of mine asked recently to go with me to drive around and pray for the city.  What a great idea!  Though these pictures are not super-amazing, they do show a behind-the-scenes look at what a photographer like me does.

We strapped three car seats across the back of her car, loaded up a picnic lunch, a camera, (not enough pants), and a three-year-old ready to find some swings. 

It was an absolutely gorgeous day!  We went from place to place, exploring new areas of our grand metropolis of St. Louis. I discovered this lovely spot just moments from a clients upcoming reception spot.

And it was the first day in almost a month that Eli's hair wasn't super curly.  Noted here:

It took us almost 4 hours to find a park with swings on our adventure, but we did find them!

And as foreshadowed before, Eli ran out of pants.  What a sight he was at our perfect playground adventure!  Baby-muscle-tee, purple diaper, no pants, tall socks, and little brown leather high-top shoes. Hehe.  I couldn't resist showing you.  And did I mention he's now on the move?

bikes

Thoughts on bicycles.

As a kid, I loved to ride my bike. Oh, the freedom! I would ride down the road to the creek and write poetry, take pictures, pray... I have not ridden in a long time.

When we just moved our friend, Drew, who rode over 1000 miles in the last few months, commented that we have the dustiest bikes he's ever seen.

My husband never learned to ride a bike as a kid. He's learned (or rather, is still learning) as an adult. We keep thinking it would be great to add a kid seat to our bikes for Eli. And to add a bike to our reasonable ways to get around in our one-car, crazy scheduled photo-wife, full-time-job-hubby life we lead. He used to ride public transportation to work, and now our new house makes that very silly. Two hour commute. Each way. But... if he could only ride a bike to the station, it would speed that up a lot!

Eli's too little to ride a bike. But one day he will.

When we lived in Holland, the main way to get around is on a bike. They are like feet. But faster. Everyone has them.

I took that picture while in Holland. They are laying on an icy canal. Fun, eh?

Missionaries in Asia could use bikes all the time! But guess what, they can't afford them. Here I am with two great, but ill-used dusty bikes in my garage. There they are, with great need for a bike and no money to buy one.

I had been praying last week about ways that we here at Purple Lemon Photography can increase the money we give to missionaries in the world. That is, you see, why I photograph for money. We have yet to pay ourselves out of our profits (though surely someday we will, I assume), but we have given to missionaries as we said that we would. We want to faithfully continue this trend.

I got a letter today from an organization that we have supported for many years. Gospel for Asia. They are a great organization that is effectively spreading the gospel throughout Asian countries like India and Bangladesh. It was talking about bikes and how the missionaries need them.

Would you help us buy them some bikes? I have a few ways you can do that! And they come complete with catchy, alliterative titles.

1. Bookings for Bikes: Book a session for sometime before October, mention the bikes, and we'll contribute $30 of your session fee to buy a bike

2. Bonuses for Bikes: Add a donation of your choice to an already active order, and we'll add $20 photo credit to your package

3. Brides for Bikes: Book a wedding by the end of May, mention the bikes, and we'll buy a whole bike.

Rules of the game:

You must complete the option by May 30th, 2010. We will round out all the donations to make sure that we buy complete bikes- no unicycles here! Each bike costs $110. How many bikes do you think can we buy?

Grace & Joel

I am so full of wonderful things to share about this wedding I have no idea where to start. Back during our planning sessions, this delightful couple tried to convince me that they were so simple that they were bordering on boring. Let me just say they were wrong.  They were so full of character, simple yet elegant detail, and genuine expression that I cannot even begin to let the fullness of my spirit come down after such a great wedding.  Days later I still feel such a bursting forth of joy in my heart from being a part of their special day.  No exaggeration. Right now my throat is tight and my heart is racing.  Joel and Grace- your wedding was great!  Grace was absolutely radiant!

This might get long... I feel like I have something to say on almost all of these images.

They asked for a "killer ring shot" and though I shot several throughout the day, this one taken early on is my favorite.  Grace's apartment has all the right colors to compliment their day.  

 

Do you see these incredible flowers?  She made them. Out of ribbon. Amazing. Simply amazing.

There were so many priceless expressions that I wanted to show from their ceremony that I couldn't choose.  This is my husband's favorite.  It was very unique lighting situation with some rather harsh, direct sunlight on them during the ceremony, which was really fun to edit.  I did some work with deep, deep shadows and some fun highlights right on the edge of their skin.  This is one with more even lighting.

This is my absolute favorite from the whole day. I think I will enlarge it to a grandiose scale and put it in my office.

 

Here at the Dukes household, we think Grace looks an awful lot like Charlize Theron, especially here.  This one has a very movie-set feel to me.  Not your classic wedding picture.

 

Grace and Joel have a love for photos that have a vintage feel- hence all the black and white and brown tone images.  It was fun to break away from mostly vibrant pictures and work more in these muted palettes.  I did some work to create a new look that I am calling my "Wonder Years" styling.  Beyond the theme song and intro that delightful classic show, it reminds me of a picture that I restored for my mom's family a few years ago. What do you think?

Cameo.  A photographer at work.

 

Some fun night shots here.  This first one could have been done in a far less rudimentary fashion, but Chase and I had fun doing some experimentation (and a lot of counting to three) to achieve the lighting on the front of the building.  Perhaps one day (but probably not), I will show you a picture of Chase holding two speedlights in victory after we nailed our timing.

 

I feel a fitting close to this wedding was one of the last pictures I took at the end of their reception.  Here Grace's grandma embraces her during a goodbye.  It highlights the love of family (so evident that day), the flowers Grace made, and the broach that adorned the back of Grace's dress, which she bought in New York at a flea market on their first vacation together.

I feel as though I only shared a small tidbit of the wonderful stories, details, and overall elegant simplicity that surround these two.  Hopefully I will get to photograph these two again in the future and share more of their love story.  It's a good one.

Note to Grace and Joel: I think that God wants me to be your photographer for life because I, like Grace, have the same cabinet that began your relationship sitting right here next to me in my office, purchased from your store. *wink*